Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

When my kids were really little, dinnertime would sneak up on me some nights like a cat stalking its prey. One moment I’d be happily listening to the kids play while I did stuff around the house, and the next I realize that it was already dinnertime — and I haven’t started cooking.

It was in those years that I developed a cache of quick and easy recipes that I could make in minutes. That way, on the nights when time got away from me, I could just whip something up and have dinner on the table in a reasonable amount of time. One of those recipes? Pasta with peas. It was a go-to. I would cook pasta, toss in peas half way through and mix it up with sauce or oil, salt and pepper and a little cheese when it was all done cooking. So easy. So simple. And the kids loved it.

Recently Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® challenged me to create a recipe that’s quick and easy, good for busy families and uses their ranch products that my kids adore. I turned to the Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Pinterest account for inspiration and saw several pasta recipes using ranch dressing and ranch seasoning, and was sold. If there’s one thing my kids can agree on, it’s their love of ranch dressing.

This pasta dish is a stepped up version of the one I began making when my kids were very little. Pasta is, again, cooked with peas. But then it’s tossed with rotisserie chicken (a dinner saver!) and a little bacon. It’s finished off with ranch dressing, making it a creamy pasta dinner perfect for those busy nights we all have.

The combination of tender rotisserie chicken, salty bacon, bright peas and creamy ranch makes this dish a total winner. Dinners like this? I especially love them because with the rush of school, work and activities, we don’t always have time for everything we want to do. With simple, easy dinners like this, we can make time for family fun — whether it’s an impromptu game night or heading out to the theater or something else.

For more Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® inspiration be sure to check out the their Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter (@HVRanch) and Instagram (@hidden.valley).

Now for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card, tell me in the comments below, what recipe will you make when you need to put dinner on the table in the next half hour?

Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding the peas to the pot about half way through cooking. Drain well.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the penne, peas, chicken and bacon. Drizzle with dressing and toss well to combine.

Serve hot or cold, with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, if desired.

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My Chicken and Biscuits recipe only takes me 30 minutes to make and my family loves it. I add a sprinkling of Hidden Valley ranch in the soup to give it a kick of flavor. I love your EASY CHICKEN BACON RANCH PASTA and make this recipe like yours all the time!